房客(糙汉)何璐程曜坤

Chapter 471 154 - Perserios territory - part 4 - Countering the plan that was thirty years in the making (part 3)

　　Although still in pain, Zoemi ended up leaving the bed and limped his way towards Devios's office, helping himself with the crystal cane.

　　As they walked they would sometimes pass a servant or an officer from the Perserios family who was brought back thanks to Zoemi's spell, still, even though he was responding to the friendly and grateful words as they all greet him, the black-haired boy didn't seem particularly happy.

　　Each time that such an interaction was initiated, Zoemi's eyes would dart over the person's shoulder and his expression would darken.

　　"..."

　　"Master...?"

　　After another encounter like that, Zoemi looked over to the puppets by his side with concern, making the first of the sentinels lowered their head apologetically and ask in a timid voice.

　　"...you three kept your unique shadows..."

　　The black-haired boy muttered to himself, biting his lips, and started limping faster.

　　All three corpse puppets looked at each other with concern and hastened after him.

　　Xeonith didn't really understand what the unique shadow talk was about, while the two sentinels didn't know what the problem was with them having the same shadows as before they took over and repurposed the dead bodies.

　　----

　　*knock* *knock*

　　Zoemi tapped on the door to Devios's office with his crystal cane before turning towards the corpse puppets.

　　"Little ones. Please go bring Miri and Burushi."

　　He said looking between the two sentinel corpse puppets.

　　"You are staying with me. I don't; know yet what to do with you, yet, so I will observe your act for a bit."

　　The black-haired boy added glaring at Xeotnith.

　　"Okay~!"

　　"We will be right back, master!"

　　The second and first sentinels cheered out and immediately ran off, like overexcited children hyped about an errand, leaving the two youths in awkward silence.

　　Although the silence was far more awkward for Xeonith than it was for annoyed Zoemi.

　　*knock* *knock*

　　The black-haired boy smacked the door a bit harder, as there was no response from the inside.

　　"I don't trust you, I kept you sealed up within my mind for a reason."

　　Zoemi scoffed, turning away from the brown-haired young man, and began glaring at the door while still talking to the confused Xeonith.

　　"But...! You know about the barbarians...! I mean, the Barbariacca nation! I was hexed by Arisu! Isn't this entire situation we are in right now caused because of how dangerous hexes are, and...! Umm... Nevermind..."

　　Xeonith complained in disbelief, before biting his tongue and looking away as he saw Zoemi's tensing up from anger.

　　"The difference with this and that is that you have tortured my friend. I will think about considering giving you the benefit of a doubt ONLY if she decides it is okay."

　　The black-haired boy declared angrily, rising the crystal cane for the third time to announce his presence before barging in – before he flinched and lowered his hand.

　　"...is Devios even in...?"

　　Zoemi muttered more to himself than to the corpse puppet behind him and reached out his hand to the door handle.

　　*clack*

　　...it was closed...

　　"Do you have a way to check inside whether Devios is or isn't there, without destroying anything?"

　　The black-haired boy asked giving the corpse puppet Xeonith a stern look.

　　"Umm... I... Yes. I do, actually. It seems that you bringing me back had given me an insane boost of power – truth be told I believe that even the first prince wouldn't be able to match me. Although this body feels a bit alien, those two little ones as you call them had done an amazing job in modifying it to..."

　　"If you can do it, then please do it."

　　After a moment of hesitation, Xeonith nodded and puffed up his chest, speaking with pride, and motioned behind himself in the direction that the two corpse puppet sentinels ran off to earlier – but was interrupted by the disinterested Zoemi.

　　"And don't kid yourself about ever measuring up to Horeo. He is consciously controlling his mana level to match the upper level of an average light magician. After this will be over, do not even try to challenge him. You will get wiped clean off from the face of the earth."

　　The black-haired boy said in an indifferent voice, making the brown-haired young man take a step back and cower while making a bitter face.

　　"...but..."

　　"No buts, you cannot fight the sun. That's all there is to it."

　　Xeonith opened his mouth to counter Zoemi's words but the younger boy merely raised his hand, pointing with his index finger at the ceiling, and announced without as much as a moment of hesitation.

　　"Now. Please check if Devios is in his office or not. I am beginning to overthink and when I do that, I tend to get a bad feeling and imagine the worst possible outcome."

　　After a couple of more seconds of letting the words sink in, the black-haired boy sighed and asked, motioning at the door with a meaningful look.

　　"Ah... okay. A moment, please."

　　Xeonith opened his mouth just to close it again, and then sighed and nodded, moving by Zoemi and leaning towards the wall as if he wanted to put his ear on it...

　　...but instead his head and part of the torso simply phased through a wall as if it was made out of the water...

　　"..."

　　Zoemi just stood there, blinking repeatedly in confusion.

　　Despite Zoemi being the biggest advocate for magicians pushing the boundaries of their elements and not getting stopped by a glass ceiling, actually seeing a spell-like that in use was shocking, to say the least.

　　At least with darkness, it was actually darkness attribute mana connecting two places – Xeonith was actually passing through a solid object.

　　And considering that there was no visible air quake, it wasn't some incredible, mana-hungry spell either.

　　Truth be told, during the tournament, Arreta did use a spell that could be mistaken for the one Xeontih was using – but to be honest, she was diving through the earth.

　　Xeonith was passing through a solid wall made out of stone blocks and bricks connected with mortar

　　As a principle, the earth was far easier to work with than stones and allowed far more leeway, that didn't change even when it comes to magic.

　　While Zoemi was having a hard time continuing his curiosity and stopping himself from reaching out with his shadow to copy it – well, maybe not that hard of a time, after all, it was more difficult to ignore the pain in his abdomen that was caused by the use of magic...

　　A moment later Xeonith leaned back as if nothing ever happened.

　　"There is no one there."

　　He announced, adjusting his clothes back to normal.

　　"Huh... I see. Thank you."

　　Zoemi nodded at the brown-haired young man and glanced at the wall that hosted him...

　　The wall was completely intact as if no corpse puppet just passed through it.

　　"Oh. No problem. That said... aren't we going to look for him?"

　　Xeonith smiled before he realized and then he shook his head and asked awkwardly, motioning to the sides.

　　"No. At least for now. We will wait for Miri and Burushi to arrive and then we shall see."

　　The black-haired boy shook his head and shrugged his shoulders, turning away from the door and waiting, facing the hallway.